


Learning to Skate

by Anorlost



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Hux doesn't know how to handle it, M/M, Skating, kylo ren does something right for a change, silliness, winter stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 02:09:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9051052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anorlost/pseuds/Anorlost
Summary: Winters on Starkiller Base are horrible.  Kylo Ren is charged with boosting morale and...succeeds?  Hux has no idea how this is possible, but Kylo Ren did something right, and now he has to admit it.





	

Kylo Ren had never liked the cold.  He hated the way it ripped through him and it took hours to warm up again.  He hated how it seemed to seep in through the walls and the automatic climate control never seemed to keep the base warm enough.  Even with his many layers, he never seemed to be able to keep warm enough.  The second he stepped outside he would want to turn around and go straight back inside.  It was horrible.  And along with the cold came the dark of almost constant snowfall.  Weeks without direct sunlight were awful, but General Hux didn’t seem to take notice.  As a native of Arkanis, he was probably used to months without a break in the clouds. 

On top of that was the awful boredom.  The snow and cold limited recreational activities to things that could be done indoors.  At first it was alright.  There were more than enough holos Kylo hadn’t seen before, and at first they had been interesting, until he noticed that all of them were thinly veiled propaganda.  He could exercise, but he couldn’t do that forever.  The body could only take so much at a time before it needed rest and breaks needed to be taken.  Exercising every moment of every day wasn’t healthy, and the same went for meditation.  Only so much silence could be absorbed before it became overwhelming.  So between boring holos, an impossible exercise regimen, too much meditation and a lack of missions, Kylo Ren was becoming bored. 

And everyone on Starkiller noticed. 

In addition to Ren related accidents, including demolished equipment, visits to medbay and general stress among the crew, there were other signs of the knight’s boredom.  Small sculptures had popped up around the base, mostly in the hangars and near the entrances or exits.  Apparently with nothing to do inside, Kylo Ren had finally turned to the outdoors.  That and patterns in the snow.  Footprints arranged to be shaped like non-human tracks, faces traced with a finger, or small depressions that looked like the beginnings of tunnels that had been abandoned shortly after construction. 

They had caught the eye of most.  Arkanis, while dreary, was not a very snowy planet.  Snowfalls weren’t impossible, but they were rare.  It was common to get a light dusting, but any snowfall that went over a foot was considered to be heavy.  Playing in the snow wasn’t something that Arkanisian natives did as a rule, and something that anyone who went to Arkanis Academy would have been banned from doing as a general rule to prevent disruption, disorder and unnecessary minor injuries like frostbite.  Though Kylo noticed in the school’s records that a disproportionate number of cadet deaths were attributed to slip and falls on icy patches. 

Still, apparently tiny snowmen were apparently going too far. 

“Ren, this is a military base, not an art gallery.  What you’ve been doing is unprofessional and leaves the base looking slovenly,” said Hux adamantly. 

“Nobody visits this Maker forsaken base!” exclaimed Kylo, “If there was something else to do, I wouldn’t be surrounding your base with snow sculptures.” 

“Since you’re so passionate about the subject, why don’t I put you in charge of recreation,” suggested Hux, “It’s about time you took on more duties and responsibilities as co-commander.” 

“I’m sorry, usually I’m doing useful things called missions, not sitting in an office playing soldiers on an icy rock in the middle of nowhere,” said Kylo, “But since you aren’t up to the task, I’ll gladly remove some of the burden from those scrawny shoulders of yours.” 

As he said that, Kylo reached out and grabbed at Hux’s uniform, catching a fistful of padding at the General’s shoulder.  Hux glared at his co-commander, partly for having the audacity to actually touch his uniform, and for reminding Hux that he wasn’t quite so large as his uniform made him out to be.  Hux moved back, shaking his uniform free and smoothing it down with a hand to ensure it didn’t wrinkle.  Kylo grinned behind his mask.  The General was like a delicately preened, exotic bird; he was so well kept and even easier to ruffle.  More than that, it would take the General hours, possibly a full day before he ensured his uniform felt like it moulded perfectly with his body again. 

“Good.  I can’t wait to see how you destroy this project like everything else you touch,” said Hux firmly, “If you need me, I’ll be figuring out ways to recover moral after your impending failure.” 

   *** 

The General’s lack of faith did little to encourage Kylo, if anything, it bolstered his efforts.  Hux expected him to crash and burn, and in fairness, he had a history of crashing and burning.  While most of his missions were successful, the unsuccessful ones tended to be explosive, and those were the ones that were always remembered.  It always seemed like it was that way.  Any good he ever did was always overwritten by any failure on his record. 

So this would not only be a success, it would be a resounding success.  It would be such an improvement, so well-received, and such a boost to morale that Hux would have to admit he was wrong.  Even if he couldn’t manage to get the words out, just the knowledge that Hux had been wrong would weigh on him, and Kylo would always have this little bit of dirt to hang over him.  The one time the great General Hux had been so egregiously wrong about him.  And Kylo would be able to bring it up for the foreseeable future of their assignment together. 

The question was, how to do it?  The most obvious answer was competition.  It seemed there was nothing First Order officers liked better than some sort of competition.  The problem was that whenever there was anything at stake, even if it was something as hollow as a gaining points that meant nothing, in a sport that meant nothing, in a contest that ultimately meant nothing, the officers and Stormtroopers would tear each other apart.  ‘Friendly competiton,’ may have been part of their vocabulary, but nobody seemed to know the real meaning of the word.  Any attempt at intermural sport Kylo had seen usually ended in injuries and brawls.  It hadn’t taken long for sports leagues and competitions to be banned. 

Kylo had his doubts about anything with artistic merit.  In his mind he envisioned rows upon rows of soldiers with art and craft materials having no idea what to do with them.  Kylo didn’t doubt that some of them could be very creative, but Arkanis Academy seemed the last place where individual expression of inner feelings through a creative medium would be offered.  Hux would probably wrinkle his nose at the thought of it, say it was encouraging disruptive and counter-productive behaviours.  Obviously it wasn’t going to work. 

So it needed to be something nonviolent, and nothing that encouraged individual thinking.  Kylo tried to think if there was something with no point or goal that couldn’t be fought over, that didn’t require a person to think about what they were doing, but could still be entertaining. 

It looked like he had just put himself in charge of the committee for watching snow fall and paint dry.  Or possibly walking mindlessly in circles… 

Moving in circles… 

As potentially dangerous as it might be to strap blades to the feet of a large number of people who were specifically trained to maim and murder, it might just be what would pull him out of his conundrum. 

The first thing he would need to do was flatten a substantial amount of area on a flat surface, preferably when there was no snow falling.  Which was nearly all the time on this particular planet.  But his chance eventually came.  Thankfully, with the Force, it was much easier to pack snow than if he had been doing it himself.  He didn’t need to expend strength with a lot of heavy lifting, since all he needed to do was create a flat, smooth surface.  After a while it became harder to pack the snow down with his power.  Even if it was easier than lifting, it was still putting a strain on his mind. 

In the end though, Kylo had a massive, round impression firmly stamped into the ground.  It didn’t take long for the news to travel, and almost immediately there were theories being exchanged about what it could possibly be. 

Hux wasn’t one for rumours and hearsay though.  The second he heard that Kylo Ren had done something out of the ordinary he decided to investigate.  As Kylo began spraying water over the surface that had been packed down he watched the General approach.  He didn’t need the Force to see that Hux was incredibly confused by what he was seeing.  The General gestured over the surface, “What is this?” 

“What does it look like?” asked Kylo, shrugging. 

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking,” said Hux, his voice dipping into a slight growl as he looked out over the surface, “So your plan was to make an ice hazard?” 

“I am this close to spraying you with this hose,” said Kylo irately, holding up his fingers in a pinching position. 

“I’m not going to let you put up obstacles around this base.  What if someone slips?” demanded Hux. 

“Never played in the snow much, have you?” asked Kylo, “This is a staple of winter outdoor activities.  You put me in charge of recreation, let me do my job.” 

“This is a hazard,” said Hux bluntly. 

“Right, somebody could accidentally slip on the massive ice field that someone would have to deliberately step onto,” replied Kylo, “Either you’re grasping at straws trying to find fault with me, or you’ve drastically underestimated your own men.  Whatever the case, I had no idea you were so petty.” 

“You ought to put signs up or something,” continued Hux, ignoring Kylo completely. 

Kylo rolled his eyes, knowing Hux wouldn’t be able to see the gesture behind his mask.  He supposed he was on the right track, if the only fault the General could find with him was that he needed a few warning signs around then obviously he was doing something right.  Hux usually had a laundry list of faults that he had found with the knight. 

It took several nights, and plenty of coatings of water to make a thick sheet of ice, but the skating rink was finally finished.  Kylo even added the stupid signs Hux wanted, ‘ _Warning:  Slippery Ice is slippery.’_ He’d been allowed a small budget for the project, and the bulk of it went into getting a space for members of the Starkiller crew to sign out a pair of skates.  It was finally finished.  Admittedly, Kylo didn’t have much of an idea of what to do when it was all over.  His project had taken up so much of his time that once he had free time again, he really wasn’t sure what to do with it. 

Though as soon as he noticed nobody wanted to try out the rink he had painstakingly crafted, the answer seemed obvious. 

“You,” said Kylo, seizing that jumpy, black haired lieutenant by the back of the neck, “What size feet do you have?” 

“S-size eleven!” squeaked the lieutenant. 

Kylo spun him around and shoved a pair of skates at him, “Put these on your feet and go skating.” 

“I-I have a meeting in…” the lieutenant protested. 

“You’ve just received an order from your commander, I suggest you obey it.  Put those on and report to the Starkiller Ice Rink,” commanded Kylo. 

“Y-yes… sir…” stammered the lieutenant looking at the skates before running off. 

Kylo found another one, a sanitation trooper, “What size feet do you have?” 

“What?” asked the trooper, completely dumbfounded. 

“Answer the question,” Kylo looked at the trooper’s designation, “FN-2187, what size feet do you have?” 

“…Ten?” said the trooper uncertainly. 

Kylo shoved a pair of skates at him, “You will report to the Starkiller Ice Rink.  You will have a wonderful time and then tell everyone else to go as well.” 

“Yes sir…” said the trooper, taking the skates and moving away as quickly as he could. 

Kylo was just about to flag down a radar technician with eerily similar facial features to him when Hux stamped his way down the hall, “Ren, what the hell are you doing!?” 

“Spreading word that new recreation facilities are open for-” began the knight. 

“You can’t just force people to take leave so you can show off your pet project!” snapped Hux. 

“Funny, I’m pretty sure I just did,” said Kylo, reaching out and brushing imaginary dust off of the General, “You could use some time outside yourself, you look musty.” 

“Ren…you may send out notifications, but you may not distract the crew from their duty,” growled Hux in a low voice. 

“And so pale,” continued the knight, cupping Hux’s face just under the chin, “It’s like you’ve never been outside in your life.” 

“Remove your hand, or I will remove it from your arm,” snapped Hux. 

Kylo moved his hand down Hux’s chest, as if he had touched something disgusting and needed to wipe it off, “Bet you’re just saying that because you’re afraid of falling on your ass.” 

“I fear nothing,” said Hux firmly. 

“Then…” said the knight ominously, “You should tell me your shoe size.” 

Hux stared up at Ren.  He lingered a moment, trying to formulate a response to a question which, in any other context, would have been ludicrous.  Though even in its proper context it seemed ludicrous.  Hux glared at the knight, “It’s really none of your business.  Stop harassing the crew.” 

   *** 

Thankfully, nobody decided to use their skates as weapons, leading to what everyone had to begrudgingly acknowledge as a success from Kylo Ren.  Somehow, the usual walking disaster of a co-commander had managed to do something productive and accomplish a goal.  It put General Hux on edge, as he seemed to be waiting for it all to go horribly wrong somehow.  He leaned against one of the signs, watching officers, technicians and troopers skate in circles around the ice.  Ren was involved so it had to go wrong somehow.  An explosion, death and destruction, something leaping up out of the ice and devouring everyone.  He refused to believe anything Ren got involved in could possibly end in success. 

And yet…nothing was happening.  Nobody was fighting, there were no injuries, not a monster or explosion in sight.  Everything was peaceful, but it was a little too peaceful.  Hux could feel that it wasn’t happening now, but soon, any moment now, something would go horribly wrong and he felt the compulsive need to be there and witness it. 

“You have…surprisingly dainty feet.” 

Hux turned and had to clench his teeth to keep his jaw from dropping.  There was Ren, in the snow, with a measuring tape, sizing up Hux’s footprint.  He remained crouched in the snow as he noted, “For someone as tall as you are your feet are really tiny.” 

“What are you doing?” growled Hux. 

“Getting you a pair of skates,” said Kylo. 

“No,” said Hux bluntly. 

“No…you gave me an assignment, I completed it, and it was a success.  Now, you’re going to have a good time and admit that I did something right,” said the knight, rising to his feet and bearing down on Hux menacingly.  He moved as close as he could and leaned in so closely Hux could feel his own breath starting to warm the knight’s mask.  Kylo growled, “Now strap on a pair of skates and have a joyous winter experience.” 

“This is obviously a trap.  You’ve got something under there, and you’re waiting until I’ve stepped out on the ice to spring it,” said Hux, “That’s it, isn’t it.” 

“Oh General…what could be better revenge than forcing you to say, out loud, that I did something right,” said the knight, chuckling darkly.  He gave Hux a light shove, “It’s inevitable, General.  Sooner or later, you’ll have to admit it.  Despite all your claims to the contrary, I did something well and now you have to tell everyone you were wrong.  It would be best to save yourself some anguish and get it over with.” 

Was that all there was left to do?  He would have to participate in Ren’s folly and then admit that the knight had actually done something well for a change?  It wasn’t as if Ren had never had a successful mission, but this felt different.  This didn’t feel right at all.  Ren didn’t make the crew happy, he terrified them.  Ren didn’t improve the base, he destroyed it.  Ren didn’t boost morale, he annihilated it.  Everything that had taken place within the last few days felt like he had stepped into an alternate dimension. 

“I have better things to do,” said Hux. 

“You’ll have to admit it at some point.  Why not just do it right now.  Just say, ‘You did a good job,’” taunted the knight. 

“I have better things to do, I’m leaving,” repeated Hux staunchly. 

“Fine, but we all know you’ll have to admit your defeat at some point General…” said the knight with a dull laugh. 

“What if I find the whole thing perfectly miserable?” asked Hux, “Being exposed to this wretched wind chill, stuck on a surface with no friction and nothing to do but go in little circles?” 

“Alright, we’ll have do this your way.  Come here tonight, when you’re off duty.  I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying or not.  If it’s as miserable as you say, you’re free to think whatever you like,” said Ren. 

He moved closer to Hux and brushed a finger over his lips, “And if I sense you having even the slightest amount of fun…you have to announce at our next meeting what a success I am.” 

“Touch my face again and I’m filing a harassment report,” growled Hux, turning his collar against the wind as he stalked back to the base. 

   ***  

Hux was going to have to admit it, Kylo was certain of that.  He was surprised by how giddy the idea of forcing a compliment out of the General was making him.  Really, it was nothing, just words, but Hux had always been stating with such conviction that Kylo was a walking disaster than wringing a single word of praise from him was going to be borderline euphoric.  It would cause Hux so much agony to admit he was wrong, the praise itself, while welcome, didn’t really matter.  This was about pissing off the General. 

Kylo grinned behind his mask as he helped Hux into a pair of skates.  He had insisted.  Not only because Hux had never put on a pair of skates before, but because Kylo was absolutely determined to kill the General with kindness.  He would conduct himself like a perfect gentleman, something to heap insult on top of injury. 

He also found it odd that Hux had such small feet, proportionally at any rate.  On an average sized man, his feet were average, but since he was taller they seemed just the slightest bit too small for him.  It might have also just looked that way because the General was always so well padded.  Kylo knew for a fact that the General was much thinner than his uniform seemed to indicate.  He resisted making jokes about Hux being dainty, or how small feet were usually indicative of other things being small.  He was going to be gentlemanly and pleasant.  His conduct would be perfect.  He was going to make it his goal to give Hux nothing to complain about for the next hour at least. 

Kylo finished lacing the skates, making sure they weren’t too tight as he helped Hux up.  As the General clutched his arm and wobbled towards the rink, Kylo couldn’t resist offering, “If you’ve never done this before you can have something to hold on to.  It’ll keep you from falling over.” 

“I’m not going to fall,” growled Hux, clearly not enjoying being unsteady on his feet.  Kylo knew he would have to start making this fun, or he would never get his words of admission from the General. 

Kylo helped him onto the ice and held him up by his biceps, which, thanks to the padding, were very easy to hold tightly without risking hurting Hux.  Kylo slid behind him as he felt Hux’s emotions go into a flutter, trying to decide whether he enjoyed the sensation of moving on ice like this.  It was dark now, the only lights were the ones coming from the base and the dull lights around the rink sending a soft glow over the glassy surface.  Hux mumbled, “And what exactly is the goal of this exercise?” 

“You just move around the rink,” explained Kylo.  He leaned in a little closer, “Alright, push back with one foot, then with the other.  It’s pretty much like running.  I’ve been able to do this since I was a child.” 

“We didn’t have this on Arkanis.  The ice never got thick enough to support a fully grown person,” said Hux, sounding close to snapping, but holding himself back.  The General stared across the ice field, “So, what, you just go around in circles?” 

“If you want,” said Ren, “But we’re not moving now.  Do you need a push?” 

“No I do not need a push!” Hux snapped, his temper finally starting to come through, “For goodness sakes, I can figure this out on my own, I don’t need you coddling me.” 

“Alright,” replied Kylo, sliding back.  He surrounded Hux with the Force though, getting ready to catch him if he got too wobbly.  The last thing he needed was the General falling, breaking his leg, and never shutting up about it for the rest of their lives. 

Hux tried to move forward, taking uncertain, miniscule steps along the ice.  He wasn’t going to get anywhere like that, and Kylo wanted to shout it at him.  He needed to propel himself forward.  Taking baby steps across the ice wasn’t going to be any fun at all and they were going to be here all night.  Kylo shook his head, “I’m going to give you a little push just to get you started.” 

“Ren, I absolutely do not nee-eeeee-!”

Hux’s voice didn’t break off.  His words turned into a cry as he was thrust forward along the ice by an invisible power.  Ren raised his hand.  He had meant for it to just be a little push, just enough to get Hux going on his own, but it was too much fun.  He held out his hand and grinned behind his mask as he directed Hux around in circles, in figure-eights and spirals as the General flailed his arms around, trying to grasp onto something, anything and regain some purchase. 

Eventually Kylo slowed him down, pushing him along at intervals, as if nudging him forward.  Finally, after a few light nudges, Hux pushed back with his right foot, sliding forward with his left.  Finding the act successful, he took another slide forward, then another and another.  Soon, Kylo pulled his hand back, still ready to catch Hux if he fell, and watched the General moving, by himself, around the rink.  He seemed to be trying to move faster, or at least that was the feeling Kylo caught coming off of Hux as he moved, trying to see just how fast he could go. 

“There, see?  It’s fun,” said Kylo. 

Hux stopped, or at least he tried to, letting his momentum run out as he collided with one of the boards lining the rink, grasping onto it to keep himself in an upright position.  He looked over at Kylo, “It’s a completely pointless exercise.  We have tracks inside for running if people want to move in circles.” 

“That’s not what I’m interested in.  Is it, or isn’t it fun?” asked Kylo, skating forward with practiced ease.  Admittedly he had not been out on ice since he was a child, but his body hadn’t forgotten how to move or stay balanced. 

“It’s…” Hux began, closing his eyes and pausing for a moment, “It’s fun…you were right, you did something good for a change.” 

“Now was that so hard?” asked Kylo, turning and leaning against the boards after coming to a halt, “It was all you had to say.  It’s not like I was asking for your first-born’s right arm.” 

“I don’t have a first-born,” groaned Hux. 

“And you never will with that attitude,” chided Kylo, opening his mask with a hissing sound and hooking it into his belt.  He patted Hux on the arm, “Come on, let’s go again.  We’ve got the rink all to ourselves.” 

“I really don’t need to.  You got what you wanted, there’s no point to staying out any longer,” said Hux. 

“I suppose nobody needs to have fun,” concurred Kylo, moving away from the board to watch Hux, who continued to grip the siding for dear life as he let out puffs of white moisture as he panted hard, “Go inside if you want.  The exit’s on the other side of the rink.  Oh…” 

Kylo raised his hand and the door slammed, “Looks like its shut.  Seems like you have to stay until someone lets us out.” 

“That is the most childish thing I’ve ever seen you do…” growled Hux as he began to inch his way around the rink, pulling himself along with the boards, “And that’s saying something.” 

“Just have a little fun with me and then you’re free to go,” said Kylo.  He skated alongside Hux, “One lap and then I’ll open the door.  Really Hux, do we have to fight every time I want to spend any recreational time with you?” 

“We do when you act like this,” growled Hux.  He kept one hand on the board as he turned, “Fine, one lap, then we get out of this bloody cold.” 

“Good,” said Kylo, pulling Hux close, “Come on, we’ll go slow.  I don’t want you falling and bruising your ass.” 

They moved slow as Hux slowly got his bearings on the ice.  He certainly wasn’t going to have a career as a speed skater, but he was starting to move with a little bit of confidence.  Kylo held him up by keeping an arm around Hux’s slim chest and kept a grip on his hand, pulling him along at a steady pace.  As they approached the door, technically doing a lap and a half of the rink, Hux didn’t say anything, so Kylo kept going, pulling the General with him.  Hux didn’t open his mouth at all, which was quite unusual, given how much he seemed to love the sound of his own voice.  Hux stayed quiet, occasionally looking up to watch the falling snow as they moved slowly. 

He stayed quiet long enough for Kylo to lose count of how many times they had gone around.  And then stayed quiet enough that Kylo could lose his grip on the General’s chest, though he still held onto his hand.  When he finally spoke, he muttered a soft, surprising, “This really wasn’t a bad idea at all…” 

“I do have good ideas occasionally,” said Kylo.  He grinned as he looked down at Hux, “Like this idea for introducing a clone-”

Hux swatted at Kylo and hissed as he nearly lost his footing.  He glared and growled, “Don’t you dare go and ruin this.” 

“Of course,” said Kylo, taking Hux’s hand again and making the General blush as he whispered, “I’ll save the ruining for the bedroom.” 

“And who,” asked Hux, “Said I was letting you anywhere near me after this?” 

“Well, if that’s how you feel…” 

Kylo raised his hand and Hux went shooting across the ice and was launched into a perfect quadruple axle, screaming the whole way. 


End file.
